"Billy has just come off his bike, quick, grab the honey."
Honey is known to have amazing healing effects, but before you head to the pantry for the honey, be aware the honey you will find there will probably not have amazing effects. These honeys are processed which takes out a lot of the healing properties. The honeys with real potential are more natural. And did you know there are actually hundreds of types of honey. Some of the most beneficial ones are thought to come from New Zealand and this is where some exciting new research is being carried out.
The special benefits of honey comes from its combination of effects. Firstly, the consistency of it protects wounds from infection and contamination. Secondly, the high sugar content actually lifts grime from the wound. Thirdly, an enzyme in it combines with the fluids and produces hydrogen peroxide. You can buy hydrogen peroxide at any chemist and it is known to be an effective disinfectant. But these products cannot duplicate the slow release effect of honey. The concentration of hydrogen peroxide from the honey is one thousand times less than anything you can buy in a chemist. This means that it disinfects your wound without irritating it.
Some honey's are also thought to contain a new antibiotic and an as yet unknown substance that speeds up skin repair. New research is investigating several types of honey in search of this new antibiotic and this miracle skin repairer.
Honey is already being used as a skin repair agent and has potential as a product to be used for both wounds and burns. With burns, chemical products irritating the wound can be a major problem, this is why honey's natural and slow-release disinfectants are especially promising.
There is also the promise of finding new chemicals with new effects. This is one example of how scientists find health secrets in nature. They find a product with natural healing properties, take it into the laboratory and find out why. There is the possibility of new drugs being discovered.
It also shows just how clever nature is. Honey works not just in one way, but in several. It is the combination of these characteristics that give it so much potential. And it occurs naturally, scientists work on products for years trying to come up with such effective combinations, but nature does it all by itself.
The honey in your cupboard will not have quite the same effect because of its processed nature, but try it next time you have a minor scratch. Put some honey on the band aid and apply it and see what happens.
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